This Forgotten Horror-Western from the ‘You’re Next’ Writer is Quietly Haunting Prime Video
The juxtaposition of the horror and Western genres is an unusual one, for sure. But there’s something rather enjoyable about seeing the two seemingly opposed genres skillfully fused. Organ Trail and Bone Tomahawk are just a couple of examples of the kind of magic that stems from the effective use of this unholy union. We recently noticed that a forgotten horror Western is streaming on Prime Video and that’s the kind of good news we cannot keep to ourselves. The film we’re referencing is Alex Turner’s Dead Birds.
Dead Birds didn’t make a huge splash upon release and still remains somewhat under-seen more than 20 years later. The film does, however, have a small cult following and even managed to win over a few critics. Perhaps some of the appeal comes from the creatives involved. You’re Next scribe Simon Barrett penned the script for this genre mashup. Not to mention, the cast features some recognizable names, including several fledgling actors who have since risen to prominence.
Henry Thomas (The Haunting of Hill House) takes top billing on the project, with Patrick Fugit, Nicki Aycox, Michael Shannon, Muse Watson, Mark Boone Junior, and Isaiah Washington rounding out the balance of the cast.
The flick is by no means a critical darling, however, it still resonated with some film scholars. Accordingly, the picture holds a 60% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
If you’re curious to see whether or not the film hits the spot for you, head over to Prime Video where you can do exactly that.
Plot crunch via Google Movies: William (Thomas), a Confederate soldier, has gone AWOL with a crew of other men. As the group, among it a runaway slave (Washington) and a nurse (Aycox), makes its way along, it stops off to rob a bank clean. Looking to plan a getaway, the gang heads into an empty house to hole up for the evening. As the soldiers start arguing with one another, strange things begin happening in the house — and everyone in the group soon realizes that the place is haunted.
So, there you have it. The under-seen horror Western Dead Birds is now streaming on Prime Video. Be sure to check it out while you can. Stay tuned to Dread Central for more updates on where to stream underrated films within your interest set. If you would like to see what I’m up to on social media, feel free to look me up on Threads.
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